Credit: LucasfilmAhsoka is already proving to be one of Disney+’s most groundbreaking Star Wars series yet after its premiere racked up millions of views across the globe back in August, making it a critical and commercial smash hit for Disney. And now, it’s being celebrated for a very different reason: its dedication to female empowerment.
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‘Ahsoka’ Shines the Spotlight on Female Heroes
From the get-go, Lucasfilm made sure to clarify that their brand new Ahsoka show would stand apart from previous Disney+ endeavors like The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Based on early trailers, it seemed like Dave Filoni’s passion project would do this by breaking the mold and featuring female leads who supported and relied on each other, which is nothing short of a rarity in the franchise.
This essential part of the story made Ahsoka revolutionary in the eyes of Star Wars fans, even if iconic women like the Prequel Trilogy’s Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), and the Sequel Trilogy’s Rey (Daisy Ridley) undoubtedly paved the way for self-empowered female characters years ago.
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Ahsoka stars Rosario Dawson as the eponymous ex-Jedi, who took over the role from Star Wars: The Clone Wars voice actress Ashley Eckstein. But long before her live-action debut in The Mandalorian and the release of her very own spinoff show, Ahsoka was one of the first female Jedi to get a fleshed-out backstory, and it’s all thanks to her creator, Dave Filoni—with a bit of input from George Lucas himself.
Ahsoka Tano Has Always Been a Feminist Icon
Throughout The Clone Wars’ seven-season run, Ahsoka was consistently shown to be a loyal, courageous, complex, and headstrong leader who fought alongside her master, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter/Hayden Christensen), and his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor/Ewan McGregor) on the battlefield.
Never defined by her love interests or overshadowed by the men around her, Ahsoka is easily one of the most well-developed characters in all of Star Wars. Her highly emotional arc has seen her fighting the Clone Wars as a young Padawan learner, leaving the Jedi Order after she’s wrongfully accused of a crime she didn’t commit, going up against Dark Siders like Maul (Ray Park/Sam Witwer) and Darth Vader, and watching as almost everything she knows and loves burns to the ground after Order 66.
In Ahsoka, we see an older and wiser version of the character as she sets out on a dangerous new mission following the collapse of the Galactic Empire: tracking down former Imperial warlord and Star Wars Rebels villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
Along the way, she faces many roadblocks, including Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), an Imperial loyalist with the resources to return Thrawn to the known Star Wars galaxy following his defeat by Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray/Eman Esfandi) in the Rebels finale. Her henchmen, Force users Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), also complicate Ahsoka from carrying out her plan.
‘Ahsoka’ Cast Praises Female-Driven Storytelling
Luckily, Ahsoka gets some help from her pseudo-Padawan, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and New Republic General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), both of whom made their live-action debuts in the series after starring in all four seasons of the animated Rebels.
With such a powerful, all-female trio taking center stage for Ahsoka, it’s no wonder that the spinoff show is being called one of the most important Star Wars projects ever. And perhaps no one is as excited about Ahsoka‘s diverse cast than Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who previously told Empire Magazine that its women-centric storytelling was “incredible:”
Even though it is so incredibly rare, it just felt so natural. It just didn’t really click in my mind until we were a little bit into production, and I was looking around going, ’Oh my gosh, look at all these women. This is incredible.’
Lucasfilm Wins Big, ‘Ahsoka’ Earns the “SOFEE” Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment
And now that Ahsoka is quickly approaching its conclusion on Disney+, the Critics Choice Association (CCA) Women’s Committee is recognizing the show for its female-driven storytelling by awarding it the “SOFEE” Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment.
A press release shared on Monday confirmed that Ahsoka is the latest recipient of the “SOFEE,” which celebrates outstanding new films and television series that “illuminate the female experience and perspective through authentically told female-driven stories.”
Congratulations to @ahsokaofficial!
The @DisneyPlus series has received the Critics Choice “SOFEE” Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment.
Full Press Release https://t.co/jKHqjOjg23
“SOFEE” recognizes outstanding new films and television series that illuminate the… pic.twitter.com/ljFqRL8Bmw
— Critics Choice Awards (@CriticsChoice) September 25, 2023
According to the statement, Ahsoka received a perfect score in the numerical formula that the organization uses to determine if new titles, which are nominated by CCA Women’s Committee members, are eligible for a SOFEE. This includes having a prominent female character arc, giving female characters at least equal screen time to male characters, having female leaders behind the scenes, and passing elements highlighted in the Bechdel test.
To be considered, new movies and TV shows must possess “an artistic and storytelling value and exceptionality” and score at least seven out of a possible ten points in the SOFEE rubric. Ahsoka scored a perfect 10/10, which certainly proves that Lucasfilm is going in the right direction when it comes to adding well-rounded women to the beloved universe.
While Dawson, Bordizzo, Winstead, and Co. have yet to comment on the impressive award—though they likely won’t anytime soon due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike—Lucasfilm vice president of animation and live-action development Carrie Back responded to the happy news on their behalf, saying, “Thank you to the CCA for acknowledging Ahsoka with this seal and recognizing our incredibly dedicated and collaborative creative team.”
Does It Matter That ‘Ahsoka’ Was Created by a Man?
While it might ruffle some feathers that a show written and co-directed by Dave Filoni, who identifies as a man, is being celebrated for “female-driven storytelling,” it’s important to remember that men have created some of pop culture’s best female characters, and vice versa.
For example, Alien (1979) director Ridley Scott blessed the world with Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), a character who isn’t defined by her relationship with men or the men around her.
George Miller’s dystopian epic Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) introduced audiences to Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who unarguably steals the spotlight from the leading man, played by Tom Hardy, nonetheless.
As for George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away, Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa led the Rebel Alliance, refused to submit to Darth Vader and the nefarious Galactic Empire, and even took over her own rescue mission—all but inventing the “strong female archetype” in a time where such a thing was virtually unheard of.
Filoni has always advocated for well-rounded female characters in the Star Wars universe, and his dedication to creating Ahsoka and her complex story, as well as his choice to make Hera and Sabine supporting heroes, is absolutely worthy of praise.
Plus, Ahsoka has plenty of women working behind the scenes, including directors like Steph Green, Jennifer Getzinger, and Geeta Vasant Patel. Beck and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy also serve as executive producers on the show, among others, meaning Filoni is far from the only person responsible for bringing this story to life.
It’s refreshing to see Ahsoka following in the footsteps of such prominent feminist works, and hopefully, upcoming Disney+ Star Wars shows like The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew will follow suit. For now, congratulations are certainly in order for the cast and crew, who will hopefully be able to (publicly) celebrate their accomplishments soon.
The next episode of Ahsoka arrives on Disney+ on Tuesday, September 25, at 6 p.m. PT.
Are you excited to see Ahsoka, Sabine, and Hera back in action in next week’s Ahsoka episode? Let us know in the comments below.